Full-Genome Sequence of a Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus Lineage 2 Strain from a Fatal Horse Infection in South Africa

Juliet L D Mentoor; Alison B Lubisi; Truuska Gerdes; Stacey Human; June H Williams; Marietjie Venter

doi:10.1128/genomeA.00740-16

Full-Genome Sequence of a Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus Lineage 2 Strain from a Fatal Horse Infection in South Africa

Genome Announc. 2016 Jul 28;4(4):e00740-16. doi: 10.1128/genomeA.00740-16.

Authors

Juliet L D Mentoor¹, Alison B Lubisi², Truuska Gerdes², Stacey Human¹, June H Williams³, Marietjie Venter⁴

Affiliations

¹ Zoonosis Research Unit, Department Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
² Virology Molecular Epidemiology and Diagnostics Programme, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
³ Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
⁴ Zoonosis Research Unit, Department Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa Centre for Global Disease Detection, South Africa, Division of Global Health Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pretoria, South Africa yds8@cdc.gov.

Abstract

We report here the complete genome sequence of a lineage 2 West Nile virus (WNV) strain that resulted in fatal neurological disease in a horse in South Africa. Several recent reports exist of neurological disease associated with lineage 2 WNV in humans and horses in South Africa and Europe; however, there are a lack of sequencing data from recent fatal cases in Southern Africa, where these strains likely originate. A better understanding of the genetic composition of highly neuroinvasive lineage 2 strains may facilitate the identification of putative genetic factors associated with increased virulence.

Grants and funding

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.